Like many other small boys, I was fascinated by cars, especially because my oldest brother was a bit of a car guy and subscribed to cool magazines like Car and Driver and Motor Trend. Every so often, one of those magazines would run an article on the “Car of the Future”. They featured unconventional things like small nuclear reactors as power sources. Yet, frankly, my car doesn’t do anything that my brother’s Studebaker didn’t do. It goes, it stops, it burns gasoline. I still have to steer it, and it still runs into things if I don’t steer it carefully.

But guess what? All of these things are likely to change in the not-so-distant future. It may not burn gasoline, I may not have to steer it, and it may be a lot better at not running into things.

Airbags (安全氣囊)aren't the be-all and end-all in safety. In fact, considering the recent news about people occasionally being killed by their airbags in low-speed collisions, they obviously still need some development. But they aren't going away, and in fact, you can expect to see cars appearing with additional, side-impact airbags, something some European car manufacturers already offer.

Better than systems to minimize injury in the event of an accident ,however, are systems that minimize the likelihood of an accident happening. Future cars may be able to remove many of the major causes of accidents, including drunk-driving, and tailgating (與前車距離過近). Cars could be equipped with sensors that can detect alcohol in a driver's system and prevent the car from being started, for example. As early as next year, you'll be able to buy cars with radar-equipped control systems. If the radar determines you're closing too quickly with the car in front, it will ease up on the throttle (油門).

Will cars eventually be able to drive themselves? There's no reason to think it won't be technically possible, and Mercedes is working on a system that can brake, accelerate and steer a vehicle down a highway on its own. Nobody really expects people to give up all control to their cars, but such systems could be used as failsafe (自動防止故障)systems to keep cars on the road and bring them safely to a stop even if the driver suddenly became disabled.

71.Why was the author fascinated by cars?

A. Because he read unconventional things about cars in his brother's magazines.

B. Because other small boys liked to own a car of their own, too.

C. Because his oldest brother loved to take him to places in his car.

D. Because he subscribed to cool car magazines.

72.By saying "my car doesn't do anything that my brother's Studebaker didn’t do", the author means that_____.

A. my car is far better than my brother's　 B. my car is not as good as my brother's

C. much improvement has been made in the design of cars recently

D. not much has changed in the performance of cars so far

73.Which of the following statements is true of airbags?

A. They are going to disappear gradually.

B. They are in need of further improvement.

C. They kill people instead of protecting them in low-speed collisions.

D. They are a standard feature of European cars.

74.According to the author, what will future cars do if the sensors detect alcohol in the driver's
system?

A. They will give a warning in advance.　　　　 B. They will brake automatically.

C. They will not start.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. They will ease up on the throttle.

75.Which of the following statements is true according to the last paragraph?

A. Cars will be able to drive themselves.

B. People will give up all control to their cars

C. No cars will ever break down on the roads.

D. Cars will all be equipped with failsafe systems.

Now scientists believe that global warming affects hibernating animals, causing them to wake up earlier. While this may seem a little concern, it is in fact a significant environmental problem. The shortened hibernation period could actually lead to significant declines in the populations of several species.

Some of the first concrete evidence of the phenomenon came from Colorado, where researchers at the Rocky Mountain Biological lab have been observing marmot（旱獺）hibernation behavior since the 1970s. In the early days of their studies, marmots generally hibernated several weeks into the month of May. Nowadays, however, temperatures in the area have risen by 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit, and the marmots are waking up about a month earlier.

At least the marmots are still hibernating. Several other animals have not been hibernating at all recently. Brown bears in the Spanish Cantabrian Mountains did not hibernate last year. In parts of the United States, chipmunks （花鼠）also skipped the hibernation period. The bears seem to have survived without losing many individuals. The chipmunks, however, were not so lucky. Many of the animals died of starvation during the winter.

The problem with animals waking up early, or skipping hibernation altogether, lies with the creatures’ metabolism（新陳代謝）. When an animal hibernates, their metabolism drops significantly. The animals’ heart rate slows, and they require very little energy to live. When the animals awake from their winter slumber, their metabolism returns to normal.

But while their metabolism may be as active as it was before hibernation, food sources aren’t as available as they were before. A marmot may wake up when temperatures get warmer, thinking it’s spring, but plants will not have gotten the amount of sun they need to signal their spring period of growth. So until the plants grow, the marmots have no reliable food source.

Many scientists believe the problem will continue to get worse. In addition to changes in hibernation patterns, some believe that other animals will also begin to change their migration patterns or begin to give birth earlier. For many biologists, that’s a scary prospect. Terry Root, an animal expert at Stanford University, said: “I do think what we will be facing is the extinction of many species."

66. What is the viewpoint of the writer?

A. Global warming will continue to get worse as time goes on.

B. Global warming will lead to shortened hibernation of some animals.

C. Shortened hibernation will result in declines in the population of animals.

D. Some animals will skip hibernation altogether.

67. The writer sets the example of the marmot so as to __________.

A. indicate that the weather gets warmer and warmer now

B. explain that global warming influences animals’ hibernation

C. show that the weather in the United States is quite different

D. say some animals do not hibernate now due to warm weather

68. The underlined word “slumber” in the fourth paragraph means “ _________”.

A. weather           B. activity             C. nest                 D. sleep

69. Why can’t marmots find enough food when they wake up?

A. Because there are too many marmots in the wild now.

B. Because plants haven’t received enough sunlight for spring growth.

C. Because winter days end much earlier than before.

D. Because more and more animal species skip hibernation now.

70. Terry Root holds a(n) __________ attitude towards the future of animals.

A. optimistic         B. doubtful           C. pessimistic              D. sensitive

When the Japanese attacked America’s ships at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941，they did it secretly．The makers of the movie Pearl Harbor have behaved differently.

The noise about Pearl Harbor，made by Disney，has reached its highest point with its premiere （首次公演） before the movie opens in cinemas across the US at the start of the Memorial Day holiday weekend，a time to recall national heroes who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield.

As Ben Affleck is the main star，the movie seems sure to become a success in the United States at least.

At almost three hours in length，it promises to be a good old Hollywood movie．There is a love story．Affleck and his co－star，Josh Hartnett，both fall in love with the navy nurse，Kate Beckinsale and，of course，there is much human courage and love of country.

It’s certain that Disney will be accused of “changing” history．The showing of actual events in a movie always causes arguments.

Bits of the story are deliberately not mentioned in the movie．It does not address the theory held by some historians that President Franklin Roosevelt knew about Japan’s intention to attack the ships in Pearl Harbor．It is said he did nothing，as he was aware that such a blow would allow him to take America into the Second World War.

Japan remains sensitive about being accused of wartime atrocities （暴行）．And Disney is sensitive about its business in Japan，where it has a theme park.

Not all the reviews of the movie have been full of praise．A reviewer for Newsweek，who was given an early preview，acknowledged that the 40－minute sequence （連續(xù)鏡頭） showing the attack itself was powerful．The attack comes quite late in the movie，however，and the reviewer was less impressed with the characters and the love story.

“Almost every line of the dialogue sounds like it comes from an old movie，” the reviewer wrote.

61．From the passage we can infer that the Memorial Day refers to________.

A．the day the United States was founded

B．the day people remember their ancestors

C．a(chǎn) day people celebrate the victories of World War Ⅱ

D．a(chǎn) day people remember those who died in wars

62．From the passage we know that Ben Affleck________.

A．regarded Josh Hartnett as an enemy

B．may be a very popular movie star

C．experienced the Pearl Harbor Incident

D．was in love with the actress Kate Beckinsale

63．Which of the following statements is TRUE about Pearl Harbor?

A．The movie will cause a lot of arguments.

B．The movie has made the Japanese angry.

C．The movie truly describes the Pearl Harbor Incident.

D．The movie shows that President Roosevelt knew about Japan’s intention.

64．According to the passage，what does the reviewer for Newsweek think of the movie?

A．The scenes of the attack leave no impression.

B．The dialogue in the movie is original and creative.

C．The attack scenes occupy too much time of the movie.

D．The characters and the love story are less attractive.

65．Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．Ben Affleck in Pearl Harbor. B．The True Fact of Pearl Harbor.

C．Attention！Pearl Harbor is arriving. D．Reviewer：Pearl Harbor is a success.

I began working in journalism when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.

With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was suppertime, I walked back home.

“ How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.

“ None.”

“ Where did you go?”

“ The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”

“ What did you do?”

“ Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”

“ You just stood there?”

“ Didn’t sell a single one.”

“ My God, Russell!”

Uncle Allen put in, “ Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickel. It was the first nickel I earned.

Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence, and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.

One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.

“ If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “ you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.

My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.

56. Why did the boy start his job young?

　 A. He wanted to be famous in the future.　　 B. The job was quite easy for him.

　 C. His mother had high hopes for him.　　　 D. The competition for the job was fierce.

57. From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, we learn that the mother was _______.

　 A. excited　　　　 B. interested　　　　 C. ashamed　　　　　　 D. disappointed

58. What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?

　 A. She forced him to continue.　　　　　　　　 B. She punished him.

　 C. She gave him some money.　　　　　　　　 D. She changed her plan.

59. What does the underlined phrase “this battle”(last paragraph) refer to?

　 A. The war between the boy’s parents.　　　 B. The arguing between the boy and his mother.

　 C. The quarrel between the boy and his customers.

D. The fight between the boy and his father.

60. What is the text mainly about?

　 A. The early life of a journalist.　　　　　 B. The early success of a journalist.

　 C. The happy childhood of the writer.　　 D. The important role of the writer in his family.

“Welcome, Mary,” I said. She raised her head and looked into my eyes. The smile on my face 36 . Dear God, I thought, what 　37 has entered the life of this little girl?

After settling Mary into her new desk and 　38 her, I went to the headmaster. She said, “Sit down and I’ll 　39 you in. Mary’s mother who loved her very much was shot and killed in her 　40 one night at their house. Mary, screaming, escaped to a neighbor’s. Then the child went into 　41 . She hadn’t cried or 　42 her mother since.”

I returned only to discover that the children were already avoiding this “ 43 ” child. “Mary’s been hurt badly, but we can do a lot to help her,” I explained gently. Bless all children. How loving they can be 　44 they understand.

In spite of our 45 , we seemed to be getting no closer to Mary and even my faith was wearing 　46 . My heart ached so badly, wanting this child to come alive, to be aware of the beauty, the wonder, the fun, and even the 　47 of living.

Spring approaching, children 　48 to make flower baskets for room decoration. During the lunch time, a girl came hurrying to me. “Come to see Mary’s basket,” she said 　49 . “You’ll never believe it!” I 　50 my breath at its beauty, for it couldn’t have been the work from a child that 　51 .

“Mary,” I said. “This is beautiful. How did you ever 　52 ?” She looked at me with the shining eyes of any 　53 little girl, saying, “My mother loved flowers.”

Thank you, God, You’ve 　54 us the miracle . I knelt and put my arms around the child. Then the tears came, slowly at first, but soon she was 　55 her heart out against my shoulder. The other children had tears in their eyes, too, but theirs—like mine—were tears of joy.

36. A. formed　　　　　　　 B. broadened 　　　 C. spread 　　　　　　 D. froze

37. A. wonder 　　　　　　 B. problem 　　　　　 C. horror 　　　　　 D. amazement

38. A. introducing 　　　 B. comforting 　　　 C. praising 　　　　　 D. touching

39. A. come 　　　　　　　 B. fill 　　　　　　　　　 C. push 　　　　　　　 D. let

40. A. home　　　　　 　 B. presence　　　　　 C. company 　　　 D. eyes

41. A. shock 　　　　　　 B. anger 　　　　　　 C. hunger 　　　　　 D. action

42. A. missed 　　　　　 B. mentioned 　　　 C. seen　 　　 　　D. heard

43. A. sweet 　　　　　　 　　B. sad 　　　　　　　　 C. lonely 　　　　　 D. different

44. A. before 　　　　　　 B. though 　　　　　　 C. once 　　　　　　 D. unless

45. A. lessons 　　　　　 B. talks　　 　　C. words　 　　　 D. efforts

46. A. strong 　　　　　　 B. thick　　　 　　 C. thin 　　　　　　　 D. heavy

47. A. cost　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. pain　　　　 　 C. course 　　　　　 D. pleasure

48. A. decided　 　　　 B. waited　　 　　 C. preferred 　　　　　　 D. wished

49. A. worriedly　　 B. excitedly　　 　 C. softly　 　 　　D. secretly

50. A. caught 　　　　　　　　　　 B. stopped　 　　　 C. counted 　　　　 D. took

51. A. old 　　　　　　　　 B. weak　 　　　　　 C. young 　　　　　 D. clever

52. A. arrange 　　　　　　 B. prepare　　　　　　 C. handle 　 　　D. manage

53. A. unusual　　 　　 B. careful 　　　　　 C. normal 　　　　　 D. friendly

54. A. told　 　　　　　　 B. taught　　 　　　 C. paid 　　　　 　　D. given

55. A. crying 　　　　　　　 B. shouting 　　　　 C. drawing 　　　　　 D. knocking

—Have you got any good plans, Jack?

—Let’s go to the charity to _____ some money and old clothes.

A. give away B. put off C. take up D. stand for

 Experts believe that language learning is a process ______ skills are more important than grammar rules.

  A. whose                     B. when                     C. of which      D. in which

 Mistakes don't just happen; they occur for a reason. Find out the reason, and then making the mistake becomes ____________

  A. favorable                      B. precious               C. essential       D. worthwhile

The warning of the storm, ______ over the radio and on TV, spread quickly through the province.

A. broadcasting B. having broadcast　 C. broadcast D. to be broadcast

 This restaurant has become popular for its wide_________ of foods that suit all tastes  and pockets.

 A. division                 B. area            C. range                D. circle